'Hard work' begins now, says police chief after passage of Measure A

STOCKTON - With passage of a sales tax increase, voters gave Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones the green light to charge ahead with plans to expand his police force to a level never before seen in the city's history.

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By Scott Smith

recordnet.com

By Scott Smith

Posted Nov. 7, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Nov 7, 2013 at 12:48 PM

By Scott Smith

Posted Nov. 7, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Nov 7, 2013 at 12:48 PM

» Social News

STOCKTON - With passage of a sales tax increase, voters gave Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones the green light to charge ahead with plans to expand his police force to a level never before seen in the city's history.

But Jones offered residents a word of caution Wednesday, the day after the election. Hiring qualified police officers is no easy task, he said.

"This will take time," Jones said. "We will not see these 120 officers overnight."

Measure A will raise the city's sales taxes April 1 by 3/4 of a cent to 9 percent. It is anticipated to generate $28 million annually. It passed 53 to 47 percent with just over 28,000 people voting, or 24 percent of registered voters.

By the city's plan, 65 percent of the money will go to hire more police and other efforts spelled out in the city's Marshall Plan on Crime. The other 35 percent of the tax will be used to pay Stockton's bankruptcy debts.

"A lot of the hard work begins now, in terms of recruitment," Jones said Wednesday.

Today, Stockton has 348 officers. After hiring more under federal and state grants and adding 120 more officers with the tax money, Stockton will have 483 officers.

At its peak in 2008, the city had 441 officers, Jones said.

"A highly visible police force is the biggest deterrent," he said. "I'm not saying it solves crime, but it is a deterrent. We're definitely on the right path."

Not everybody is celebrating. Former state Assemblyman Dean Andal, who opposed the measure, said that Stockton may start hiring those much needed officers.

But he predicts that within four years the city will be broke again. The compounding pension costs that Stockton didn't tackle in its bankruptcy will devour the new tax money, Andal said.

"The city leadership and those who supported Measure A will likely be around to defend the decision," he said. "In other words, we're all likely to be here when it happens."

If achieved under the city's plan, Stockton will hire 40 additional officers for each of the next three years. With a target of 483 officers, Stockton will have 1.6 officer for every 1,000 residents.

Jones said that the city needs 1.9 or 2 officers for every 1,000, but he'll take what he can get. The Marshall Plan also includes creating an office inside city hall dedicated to reducing violence and increasing Operation Peacekeepers, an anti-gang program.

Councilman Michael Tubbs, who represents some of Stockton's poorest neighborhoods, said that voters on Tuesday gave the city a means of helping him achieve his campaign promises - curbing crime and exiting bankruptcy.

Even those who didn't vote or tried to defeat the tax increase will benefit from its passage in the coming years when they are part of the city's recovery, he said.

Tubbs said he prefers to call it not a "tax" but an "investment" into Stockton's future. His role as a council member next is making sure the money is spent as promised, he said.

"The public has done their part," he said. "It's time to do our part."